vegan

Lunch, Raw, Recipes, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian

Summer Salad

I hope that everyone had a nice holiday weekend! It is getting hot hot hot in Los Angeles, and I couldn’t think of anything more refreshing than a cold fruit salad with a twist! Instead of the usual all-fruit salad, how about combining some other plant based components of protein, whole-grain, and fat to complete your meal!

Hold the dressing… This salad consists of 4 different flavors that perfectly compliment each other to make a tart yet sweet and refreshing dish, so there is no need for anything else. I’m so hooked, I could probably have this every single day!

P.S. If you are trying to incorporate vegetarian or vegan meals into your diet, this is a great easy option for meatless mondays. On a high note, this salad is boyfriend approved and my sister went back for seconds haha

Summer Salad
Serves 1

1 medium grapefruit
1/2 cup chilled unshelled edamame
1/2 cup chilled corn
1/4 medium avocado

Remove the skin of the grapefruit by cutting with a knife between the rind and flesh. Once the outer skin and pith has been removed, separate segments of the grapefruit and remove all of the membrane, pulp, and seeds so only the grapefruit flesh remains exposed. Chop the segments into smaller cubed pieces. Remove 1/4 avocado meat from it’s skin and cut into cubes. Add the chilled corn (rinsed and strained) and edamame  to the grapefruit and avocado and gently toss. Serve chilled.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: grapefruit
Whole Grain: corn
Protein: edamame
Plant Based Fat: avocado

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Recipes, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian

Kale Chips

Hi Everyone! I hope that you guys had an awesome 4th of July holiday yesterday!
It was so gloomy here yesterday, but the beach was still packed with people!

Today’s recipe is something that I am obsessed with: Kale Chips! I eat them all the time and they are always a staple in my pantry, but for some reason, I completely neglected to post a recipe on my blog! I make them so often, that I’m surprised this wasn’t my very first post haha If you don’t like the bitter taste of raw kale, you should give Kale Chips a chance, because they taste totally different when baked!


Kale Chips are really easy to make and are so affordable! I’ll start you guys off with a very basic Kale Chip recipe so you can experiment with your favorite spices and perfect the baking process before I get into some more advanced “cheesy vegan” options in future posts. If you are someone who craves crunchy cracks, these will be your new best friend. This is the perfect guiltless snack made from only 3 ingredients that are so healthy you could eat the entire batch!

It’s time to get to know this leafy green, so all hail the KALE!

  • One cup of kale has only 36 calories and zero grams of fat.
  • One cup contains nearly 20% of the RDA of dietary fiber, which promotes regular digestion.
  • Kale is contains carotenoids and flavonoids, two powerful antioxidants that protect our cells from free radicals.
  • Contains anti-inflammatory properties
  • Provides a high dose of vitamin K (providing 1327% of the RDA in one cup), which strengthens the composition of our bones.
  • Contains over 192% of the RDA of vitamin A in one cup, which is an effective antioxidant, that helps boost immunity, and helps maintains healthy bones and teeth.
  • Contains Vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that helps to lower blood pressure, and ensures a healthy immune system.

Baking kale chips or any vegetables for that matter reduces some of the nutritional properties of the whole food,  so it is suggested that you use a dehydrator to preserves the nutrients and enzymes that help with energy and digestion. If you have a dehydrator, you could use this recipe and dehydrate at 115° for 8-12 hours. Don’t be afraid of losing some of the nutritional value during baking if you only have access to an oven… Kale Chips are obviously a much healthier option than greasy potato chips!

Kale Chips
Serves 3-4

1 bunch curly kale
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ground sea salt or seasoning salt to taste (one of my favorites is Lawry’s)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse and dry kale leaves. Remove kale leaves from stems. Place the leaves in a mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Massage the kale until the olive oil is evenly coated onto the kale. Place kale directly onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt or seasoning. Don’t worry about perfectly spacing out the Kale chips on the baking sheet, they can slightly overlap because they will shrink dramatically in size. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until crisp, moving the chips around and flipping them half way to ensure that they are evenly baked.
Note: Kale chips shrink after they are baked, so let the leaves be bigger than you would like them to be before baking. Below is a photograph of the kale chips before and after the baking process.


If you want a full nutrient rich dose of kale, try it raw in a green smoothie!

| 55 Comments
Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Southwest Quinoa Collard Wraps

The last time I was in Houston visiting Sam, we invented an awesome dinner dish! Since we were cooking together, this didn’t end up as a single serving sized recipe, but trust me, you will want to have this everyday for as long as your leftovers last! I got Sam totally addicted to quinoa (keen-wa) with my Apple Pie Parfait  and it has turned into one of his favorite whole-grains. If your meat loving boyfriend, hubby, dad, or brother is scared of vegetarian or vegan meals, this one is boyfriend approved and a great option for “Meatless Mondays” if you’re trying to go veggie! If you are a big time RFFMBT fan, you may remember a sneak peek photo of this recipe that I posted on my Facebook page! At last, the detailed recipe is finally here!

This is a great healthy dish if you are having guests over for lunch or dinner. You could even set up a little wrap station where your guests can make their own collard wraps!



Southwestern Quinoa Collard Wraps
Serves 4-5

1 bunch collard greens
1 cup dry quinoa + 2 cups water
1/4 cup low sodium vegetable broth
1 15oz can unsweetened corn
1 15oz can low sodium black beans
1 large red bell pepper
1/2 yellow onion
1 ripe avocado
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp Southwest/Fajita seasoning (I used Mccormick Salt-Free Southwest)

Bring quinoa and water to a boil, then reduce to low heat and cover for 10-15 minutes until water is absorbed. Dice the onion and bell pepper and sauté in a pan with low sodium vegetable broth over medium/high heat. While the quinoa is cooking and peppers and onions are sautéing, rinse and strain the beans and corn. Once quinoa has finished cooking stir the beans and corn into the same pot. After the peppers and onions have become tender and cooked, stir them into the quinoa mixture as well. Add fajita seasoning and lemon juice to taste and gently mix into the quinoa until well combined. Cover the quinoa mixture and set aside. Rinse and dry collard greens and remove stems. Remove the avocado “meat” from its skin, and cut into thin slices. Place a collard green leaf on a plate and fill with 1 cup of the quinoa mixture, 1/4 avocado slices, and roll up into a wrap. Cut in half and serve!
Note: This recipe pairs really well with mango! Cut one mango into slices and add into the wrap along with the avocado for some sweetness.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: collard greens, bell pepper, onion
Whole Grain: quinoa and corn
Protein: beans
Plant Based Fat: avocado

| 52 Comments
Breakfast, Contests & Giveaways, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Banana Bread Breakfast Quinoa + DOLE Bananas Giveaway

A couple of weeks ago, I received an email from DOLE Bananas asking if I would like some coupons for free bananas. After the shock that DOLE Bananas (OMG!) emailed me, of course I immediately replied with a very enthusiastic YES! DOLE Bananas was sweet enough to send me a huge stack of coupons for bananas, and let me say, they were instantly put to good use! I have been going bananas in the kitchen, literally! I picked up tons of bananas and threw a bunch (no pun intended) in the freezer (peeled) for future smoothie use, and started crafting away on some new nana recipes for you guys!

Bananas have so many health benefits, they might as well be called “Nature’s Original Energy Bar!” DOLE sent me some awesome banana facts to show that they aren’t just delicious, but nutritious too!

  • Bananas are a good source of vitamins and nutrients – especially vitamins B6 and C, potassium, manganese and dietary fiber.
  • Bananas replenish necessary carbohydrates, glycogen and body fluids burned during exercise; contain electrolytes; and are the perfect alternative to processed sports drinks and bars packed with sodium and sugar.

Since I am a huge fan of bananas and breakfast, I wanted to try making a banana bread type of oatmeal… without the oats! I love quinoa for it’s amazing health benefits, so I decided to use it as a breakfast bowl/porridge type of meal. It turned out AWESOME, and I will be making this more often, especially when I need a break from oatmeal!



Banana Bread Breakfast Quinoa
Serves 1

1 very ripe banana – mashed
¼ cup dry quinoa
¼ cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)
2 Tbsp walnuts
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp cinnamon

Cook the quinoa on the stove to package instructions. After the quinoa has finished cooking (while over low heat), stir in the almond milk, mashed banana, vanilla, and cinnamon. Mix the walnuts into the quinoa or add on top. Transfer to a bowl and enjoy warm.
Note: You could add additional milk until desired texture is reached.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: banana
Whole Grain: quinoa
Protein: milk
Plant Based Fat: walnuts

In collaboration with DOLE Bananas, I am hosting a giveaway of  “$1 off DOLE Bananas” coupons for 5 lucky winners! Each winner will receive 5 coupons! 

For your chance to win:

  • Leave a comment on this post “Banana Bread Breakfast Quinoa + DOLE Bananas Giveaway” with your favorite way to eat bananas!
  • All entries must use a valid email address.
  • Open to U.S. residents only.
  • All comments must be posted by Sunday, July 1st at 11:59pm (PST).
  • 5 winners will be randomly selected and announced on Monday, July 2.

Go Bananas Every Day™ and receive daily recipes, serving suggestions and tips by following DOLE Bananas on Twitter and Facebook!

I have complied a list of some RFFMBT recipes that include bananas:
Healthy Vegan Banana Bread
Banana Nicecream
Peanut Butter & Banana Toast
Banana Hazelnut Toast With Ricotta
Protein Pancakes
Chocolate Cake Batter Overnight Oats
Ch Ch Ch Chia Pudding
Carrot Cake Smoothie
Gargantuan Green Giant
It’s Easy Being Green Smoothie

* The giveaway has ended, and the winners will be announced on Monday, July 2.
** Congratulations to the winners: Killian from PA, Jessica from IL, Sara from VA, Elizabeth from TX, and Leanne from CA.

| 173 Comments
Dinner, Lunch, Vegan, Vegetarian

Black Bean Wrap

Since it’s officially summer, it’s time for burgers, bonfires, and beach days! Keep your lunch light and your waistline trim with a healthy Black Bean Wrap! This vibrant green wrap is filled with plant based protein, fresh produce, and healthy fats that will keep you full and satisfied until dinner!



Black Bean Wrap
Serves 1

1 Black Bean Burger patty
2 swiss chard or butter lettuce leaves
1 small tomato
1/4 avocado
pinch of salt & pepper

Cook the Black Bean Burger patties to RFFMBT instructions. Wash and dry lettuce. Cut the tomato into slices. Remove 1/4 of the Avocado “meat” from skin. Place half of the Black Bean Burger patty and half of each ingredient into the lettuce leaves, creating two wraps. Sprinkle with just a pinch of salt & pepper to taste. Wrap the leaves into tight rolls and then slice in half. Enjoy right away or refrigerate and take to the beach for a light lunch!

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: swiss chard & tomato
Whole Grain: none, pair with 1/4 cup quinoa or brown rice
Protein: black bean burger patty
Plant Based Fat: avocado

Don’t forget to submit your questions via Twitter and Facebook followed by the hashtag #RFFMBTFAQ
I’ll be compiling a list of the most common frequently asked questions and post my answers next week!

Have a fab weekend!

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